Three Carriers Recently Entered Into A Joint Business Venture

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), the British Airways Company Council of the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA-BACC) and Sindicato Español de Pilotos de Lineas Aereas-Iberia (SEPLA-IB) announced today that they have entered into a mutuality agreement in response to the "significant commercial agreements" among American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia.

The three carriers were recently granted antitrust immunity by U.S. and EU authorities and have also entered into a joint business venture. The pilot unions released the following prepared statement concerning their mutuality agreement, seen here in its entirety:

"Our airlines are faced with a dynamic industry environment. We understand their desire to maximize the potential of their commercial agreements with each other. It's also clear that we must take steps to protect the legitimate career expectations of the pilots we respectively represent. Mutual cooperation and unity of purpose are essential to protect our pilots' professional interests in relation to any joint business venture between our respective airlines. We recognize the potential threats of outsourcing in the current commercial environment and are committed to working together using all appropriate industrial, legal and other means to resist any attempt to outsource pilot jobs.

"We have therefore entered into a mutuality agreement to facilitate information exchange and the development of a common strategy to help ensure a fair distribution of job opportunities among our respective pilot groups. This mutuality agreement will remain in effect as long as the joint business venture and joint operations of our airlines continue."

FMI: www.alliedpilots.org, www.balpa.org